Improvement in cobn-huskers



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G. FORD. CORN HUSKER.

Patented Mar. 10, 1868.

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Patented Mar. 10, 1868.

CHARLES FORD, OF FOREST CITY, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 75,403, dateci'March 10, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN -HUSKERS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F0111), of Forest City, in the county ofMason, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Machine forHusking Corn from the field or stalk, by horse or other power, which Icall a Field-Power Corn-Husker; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings,making a part of this specificatiom'in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation. v

Figure 2 is a section; showing the hashing-rollers, with a partofxtherubber roller broken away, to show the gearing. 4

Figure 3is a section, showing the front'ends of the rollers, with thegain-twist of the threads, and the manner in which they act on thestalks of corn.

The following are the names of the parts: A, drive-wheels; B,guide-wheel; G, shaft; D, frame; E, axle; F, hopper; G, snapper; H,serrated roller; I, rubber roller; J, gain-thre ad; L, dropper; M, belt;N, gearing; m, mouth; P, shaft-hinge; Q, lever; R, stop; S, fenders; T,presser; Z, breaker; a, pulley.

Construction.

The frame D, shaft C, drive-wheels A, guidc-wheel B, and lever Q arearranged much after the manner of Haine's small-grain harvester, exceptthe frame is made half diamond or full diamond (see fig. 1) shape foronerow, and double-diamond shaped for a two-row husker. The axle E isfast in onedrive-wheel and ratchetecl to the other, and from theirrevolutions comes the power that drives the gearing N. This gearing isso arranged that it gives a downward and inward motion to the serratedand rubber rollers, H and I'- The left-hand roller H is made with aserrated or a file-like surface, of wood, iron, or other hard substance.The square sides of the serratos should face with the (intended) motionofthe roller. The other roller,I, is made of hard substance from thesmall end, one-third its length back, and the balance of the rolleris'covred with a heavy coat of India rubber, or other elastic material,and its axle may or may not be on spring-bearings. By the use ofspring-bearing a less elastic substance may be used in the roller I.Both rollers are'one-iuehsmaller, for onethird their length next thefront end, (see fig. 2,) and have a spiral rod, (gain-threods,) J,winding at first near the points of the roller, at an obtuse angle withthe rollers, but increasing to an acute angle as jthe y pass back totheir termination at the swell in the rollers, (see figs. 1 and Aright-hand thread should" be on the lefthand roller, and a left-handthread should be on the right-hand roller.

The hopper F sits with its lower edges close to andjust over each of therollers H and I. The snapper G is a spiral web lying and revolving inthe hopper, its front end being held in place by a bearing attachedto-the hopper, nnd'its other end joining to the presser T. This presseris a cylinder, with a right-hahd thread, of the depth of near twoinches, winding on its surface, the whole revolving on the same axlewith the snapper G, and driven by gearing on the rubber roller I.

The .mouth m is an outlet from the hopper on to the dropper L. Thedropper is a common kind, driven by'a belt, which runs to a pulley, n,on the end of the snapper and resser-shaft. The fenders S are made ofboards or light iron; and the breaker -Z is an iron rod properly bentand fixed to the hopper.

' Operation.

Themachine is pushed or drawn by the horses astride the row or rows, sothe fenders will throw the corn stalks between the rollers, where thegain-threads J will draw them, (one or two stalks atatime,) slowly atfirst, but more quickly as they go, back and down between the rollers,(see fig. 3,) until the stalks and husks are carried down between theserrated and rubber rollers, where, if the ear does not burst out, thesnapper G will break it out, or from its stem, and pass itback under thepresser T, which rolls the ear over and over between the serrated andrubber rollers (so tllat every husk and silk maybe caught and torn off)as it passes it back and out at the mouth m. Here the ears are caught bythe dropper L, and passed up into a wagon, which should be driven-alongunder the mouth of the dropper for that purpose. The fenders should iununder the ears on the stalks, and are raised or lowered for that purposeby the lever Q.

The machine is thrown out of gear by the stop R. The breaker Z breaksthe tops off the stalks, and causes them to pass through sooner. Thewhole machine is managed, guided, turned, 860., substantially the sameas Haines header or small-grain harvester.

I do'no't claim the general features of the carriage and frame, nor theapplication of the common screw or spiral thread on a roller forcarrying the corn on the stalks up and bark. Y

Claims.

What I claim as my inrention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent,is- 1. A serrated feed hard roller, H, and rubber roller I, used, asherein set forth, for husking corn, by catching the husk and stalks andpassing them throughbeneath, while the ear is left on top.

2. The rollers made, as herein set forth, (fig. 2,) smaller for nearone-third their length at the front end, to

" admit the stalks between the rollers.

I 3. The use of the gain-thread J, which increases the acuteness of itsangle with the roller, as it runs back (see 3,) from the point to theswell of-the rollers, thereby pulling the cornstalk gently overatlfirst, but more rollers.

quickly afterward, and also keeping the stalks parallel with the threadsthat pull them, thus avoiding the danger of breaking them'ofl beforethey get into the hopper.

4. I claim the use of the right-hand gain-thread on the front end of theleft-hand roller, and the lefthand gain-thread (see fig. 1, J,) on theright-hand roller, in connection with the inward and downward motion of"the 5; The hopper F, made and used as herein set forth.. 6. The snapperG, made and used for breaking-the ears from the stalks and husk, whilethe latter are held firmly beneath, between the rubber and serratedrollers, and also for carrying the ears back under the resser. 7[ Thepresser T, for pressing the cars down and rolling thern over as itpasses themback between the rubber and serrated-rollers, so that anyremaining husk or silk may be taken bit before theylpa ss out on to thedropper.

8. The dropper L, arranged as herein described, in connection with themouth m. of the machine, in such manner that the ear-corn is deliveredin a wagon, if driven for that purpose, without other assistance;

9. The breaker Z, made and used as herein set forth, to break the topsof the stalks back, so they will pass down between the rollers beforethey get far back onthem.

10. I claim the combination of the gain-thread J, rubber roller I,serrated roller H, fenders S, snapper G,

presser T, hopper F, dropper L, gearing N, and frame D, arranged andused as herein described.

CHARLES FORD.

Witnesses:

HARVEY J. Harmon, ALEX. Cnoss.

